When I was eighteen years old and in the habit of running three miles every morning, I started to develop a dull, aching pain in my right knee that progressed to the point where I couldn’t drive or sit with it bent for long periods of time, let alone jog. Through physical therapy and acupuncture, I’ve replaced pain with strength, but I’ll never be able to replace the cartilage I wore away by running improperly. Now, slightly older and much wiser, I realize that we get only one set of joints and therefore need to take good care of them
The Hip Bone’s Connected To …
Our joints are the points of contact between our bones that allow for movement and mechanical support. Many different types of joints exist throughout the body, but there are three main classes:
- Simple joints involve two articulation surfaces (bones). They include shoulders and hips.
- Compound joints involve three or more articulation surfaces, as in the radiocarpal joint (wrist).
- Complex joints involve two or more articulation surfaces and an articular disc or meniscus. The knee is a complex joint.
Joints vary from having little or no mobility to having a full range of motion. Synarthrosis joints, or fixed joints, permit little or no mobility; most are joined by fibrous connective tissue (FCT) that is very strong but less flexible than other types of tissue. (Our skulls are actually considered synarthrosis joints.) Ampiarthrosis joints, like vertebrae, offer slightly more mobility, since they are connected with more flexible cartilage. And diarthrosis joints provide the greatest range of motion because they are synovial joints, not directly joined by any tissue. Our shoulders, hips, elbows, and knees are all diarthrosis and synovial joints that we can move in almost any direction.
Out of Joint
Most people start having problems when the connective tissues around joints begin to erode, which happens naturally with age. According to the Mayo Clinic, osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis. Also called degenerative joint disease or osteoarthrosis, it refers to the wear and tear on joint cartilage that happens naturally over time. People with OA usually feel it in their hands, hips, knees, neck, and lower back.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), on the other hand, is a chronic autoimmune disorder in which the joints become inflamed and painful. The Arthritis Foundation reports that RA affects 1.3 million Americans and can lead to long-term joint damage, resulting in chronic pain and disability. While there is no cure for RA, research and drug development, along with self-management techniques, have allowed more people to live better with the disease.
Other immune disorders, like lupus, can cause joint pain but do not usually cause joint degeneration.
No Pain in This Game
For young, healthy people without RA, the biggest threat to joints is simply not taking care of them. Exercising is great for health in general, but high-impact activities like running (especially on pavement) put a lot of stress on the knee joint.
According to Shelley Drozd writing for Runner’s World, 42 percent of all overuse injuries occur in knees, the most common of these injuries being patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS), or “runner’s knee,” a condition in which the kneecap gets off track.
Orthopedists and sports podiatrists aren’t sure of any particular cause for runner’s knee, writes Drozd, but it most likely has something to do with a mix of improper footwear and poor conditioning. Overpronation, or rolling the foot inward while walking, prevents shock absorption and may pull the patella sideways. Weak quadricep muscles can do the same.
The best way to prevent runner’s knee if you’re an athlete is to get fitted for special running shoes designed for your individual gait. Jack Rabbit, in New York, provides custom shoe selection and can refer you to other places around the country that do the same. Also make sure you’re running on a soft surface—like a track, rather than pavement—to reduce the impact on your knee joints
Incorporate a muscle-building and stretching activity into your exercise routine, too. Yoga is great for this, as it helps to keep all the joints in balance. Just modify poses to fit your own needs. A personal trainer can also help you assess where you may need to strengthen to prevent injury.
As far as diet and supplements go, it’s a good idea to keep your weight down, since overloading your joints puts too much pressure on them. Dr. Richard H. Blau, a rheumatologist in Hicksville, New York, also recommends omega-3s as an anti-inflammatory to his patients with RA, but tries to dissuade them from taking glucosamine and chondroitin, the supplements touted as miracles for the joints just a few years ago. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) agrees: its studies show no difference between glucosamine and chondroitin and placebos in terms of reducing joint pain or reversing degeneration.
You Get Only One
Our joints go unnoticed when they’re working well; it’s only when they act up that we take note of them. But humble as they may seem, our shoulders, knees, wrists, and hips do some of the most important jobs in our bodies. Just imagine getting around without them. Especially if you enjoy an active lifestyle, nurture and appreciate your joints well into your old age. After all, you won’t be given another set.